


New In Town

by subtlesinner



Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, NSFW, Porn With Plot, Self-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-21
Updated: 2017-03-21
Packaged: 2018-10-08 15:18:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10389693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/subtlesinner/pseuds/subtlesinner
Summary: Sam catches you watching him while he's having a smoke one day and invites you down for introductions... The next thing you know, you're being invited to a party, with no idea what to expect.This fic is inspired by a few screenshots I took in photo mode, which you can see,here.





	

“So, are you ever going to come down and introduce yourself, or are you just as happy sitting up there and watching me like that every day?” Your heart rate tripled as you took a step back from your open windowsill, feeling horrified at being called out by the guy you’d been low-key checking out for the last week since you’d moved into the new apartment building. Moving to a new city had been hard enough as an introvert, so you’d had to focus all your energy on adjusting to the routine you’d found yourself falling into; meeting new people hadn’t been your strong suit, even in a town you’d spent your whole life growing up in, and now that you moved somewhere different, it felt like a borderline impossible task. So, like a creep, you’d taken to people-watching around the neighborhood after a long day at work, day-dreaming about talking to your neighbors when you knew it really wasn’t in your comfort zone. You’d found your schedule lined up pretty well with one neighbor in particular- you didn’t know his name, but he was older than you, tall and lanky, with dark hair and an angular face. He stood on the walkway in front of the building looking up at you, a cigarette hanging between his lips with a look of amusement on his face as you tried to come up with an answer that didn’t make you look like some kind of stalker, but instead of shouting something down when you poked your head back through the open window, he gestured at the street around him, inviting you down for a second time.

“H-hold on, I just-” You motion awkwardly, hoping he can at least kind of hear what you’re saying. “I’ll be down in a second!” You rush away from the window again, shaking your head, berating yourself for accepting his invitation; if you’re being honest, you were mostly just looking forward to your original plan for the evening (eating re-heated leftovers, watching Netflix, video-calling your best friend back home to complain about how much work sucked this week, then masturbating until you passed out), now that it was the weekend and you finally had a night to stay up late, but you’re such a creature of habit that when his truck wasn’t outside the building on your way inside that you’d stuck around to watch for him, his constant presence having become somewhat of a comfort to you. Now, you felt like an idiot with no idea what you were going to say to him when you two finally met for the first time, face-to-face; you glanced at the mirror next to your front door in passing, shrugging at the messy hair hanging in your face and the remnants of makeup still left behind after a long day at work, before taking a deep breath and leaving your apartment slowly. You trotted down the single flight of steps that wound around your side of the hallway, two at a time, still trying to think of any way this wouldn’t end in disaster, but coming up empty-handed. The sky was turning orange and purple as you stepped outside into the light of the setting sun, blinking back against the warm hue as your eyes adjusted, you almost jumped when you realized someone was coming over, and it could only be _him._

“Hey, you made it! For a second, I thought you were gonna ignore me and go hide.” His crooked smile did little to help your confidence as your new neighbor stuck out a hand to shake. “I’m Sam, by the way.” You accepted his hand, telling him your name in response, and he squeezed your hand heartily as he greeted you, the corners of his eyes creasing with the same smile. His hands were surprisingly rough, and now that you were close enough to see him better, you realized how much older he was than you’d thought before, his face peppered with little scars, no doubt gained over years of hard living.

“Y/N. Nice to meet you.” You try not to sound awkward, wondering if it was normal to introduce yourself to someone you’ve just caught staring at you, or not.

“I haven’t seen you around here before, Y/N, are you new in town?”

“Yeah, actually, I just moved in about a week ago.” You nodded, smiling as you looked at the ground, a little embarrassed. “I’m still having some trouble adjusting to the new surroundings, I guess.” You tried to play it off as if you weren’t completely socially inept, and it seemed to work, Sam taking another deep draw from his cigarette, ember crackling slightly at the intake, he stopped when you hesitated, not used to being around people who smoked.

“Oh, sorry-” He turned away for a moment, blowing a plume from his lungs away from you and waving the smoke to dissipate it quicker. “I forget sometimes, not everyone is a heathen like me.”

“What?” You ask, slightly confused.

“You don’t smoke, right?” Sam explained, and you nodded, realizing, of course that’s what he’d been talking about. “I’ve smoked too long to quit, but I know most people don’t really like it these days.”

“I, uh, I don’t mind.” You try to play it cool, hoping he doesn’t try to offer you one.

“Sure.” He smiled again, looking at the ground for a second when you seem to shrink back slightly. “Hey,” He seemed to hesitate, almost embarrassed to be asking it, “Are you doing anything tonight? My friends and I are having a little get-together, and I thought you might want to come. It might be a good chance to meet some people in the new city.” He said the last sentence as if it were some kind of helpful suggestion, and not the single thing you dreaded most: interaction with strangers in a social environment... the horror of it.

“I- I don’t know if that’s such a great idea...” You put your hands up as you refuse the offer, feeling a little bad when Sam looks disappointed. “I’m not very good at meeting new people. I’d probably ruin it, or something.”

“What? Nonsense! How can you be bad at meeting people? You’re talking to me right now!” Sam seemed aghast at the idea, but you’re honestly counting the seconds until you can scurry back to your apartment, and the solitude it offered, even if it meant offending Sam by turning him down.

“It’s just... not really my thing, that’s all.” You sighed, tucking hair behind your ear self-consciously. The air between you went suddenly quiet, and you wish you knew of a way out of the conversation. “I’m sorry, Sam...”

“No, no, don’t worry about it.” He shook his head, looking slightly embarrassed. “The offer still stands, you know... There’ll be pizza and beer. Just come find us in 4D, if you change your mind.”

“Thanks for the offer, Sam, really.” You tell him genuinely, “It was nice to meet you. We should do this again, sometime.” You joke, praying it didn’t come out as awkwardly as you think it did.

“Yeah, sure. See you around.” Sam smiled again, smoking his cigarette as you walked away, and you almost wished he’d stop doing that, but the butterflies in your stomach begged to differ.

  


***

  


Almost midnight, and you’d managed to check off almost every item on your to-do list, with the exception of the masturbation you’d been planning (that sounded so sad and embarrassing, the more you thought about it, so you’d decided to nix it), after wrapping up your re-cap of the week with your best friend, the conversation had somehow fallen to your awkward interaction that evening, and your friend would not let you forget about turning him down until you loudly announced you were hanging up the call, and that you’d talk to her later. Closing the video chat program, you only just now realized what the low pitched humming you’d been hearing for the last hour or so hadn’t been your computer making the sound, but instead was actually music coming from one of the apartments on the other side of the building, the sound amplified slightly through the cobbled courtyard. You grumbled to yourself, wishing the music wasn’t so loud, but you knew there was no point in complaining about it when Sam was basically the first person you’d met in the whole neighborhood, and you didn’t want to piss him off, acting like an old fuddy-duddy.

“ _You_ met someone?” Your best friend’s voice echoed in your ear mockingly, “What the hell are you doing talking to me, then? Go to his party, idiot!” You sigh, knowing she was probably right, but you didn’t want to admit it. Meeting Sam’s friends, who were probably all his age, sounded like a death sentence; you were already used to being the youngest person in the room, but going to a party filled with full-fledged adults wasn’t exactly your idea of a good time. Still, you found yourself flushing at the thought of just how much he’d smiled when the two of you were talking so briefly, and the smell of his cigarettes still clung slightly to your t-shirt, permanently cemented in your sub-conscious; maybe getting another opportunity to see him, even if it was out of your comfort zone, wouldn’t be such a bad thing? Before you could lose your nerve, you forced yourself off the couch, depositing your dirty dishes in the dishwasher before you made your way to your small, untidy bedroom. If you were going to go out of your way to see Sam again, you wanted to at least look better than you had the first time you’d met. After a few minutes of digging through one of the boxes in your room, you sighed with relief, finally having found the top you’d been searching for so desperately; you half-worried it might be too late already to just show up, but you reminded yourself Sam had told you to come over, so he obviously wanted you there. You spent the next half-hour scrutinizing your appearance in the mirror before finally forcing yourself to leave, praying it wasn’t too late to join the party that was clearly already in full-swing.

By the time you stood outside his door, music now completely audible from the hall, your heart hammered in your chest so loud you could almost hear it in your ears, nearly chickening out before you knocked on the door as loudly as you could, hoping someone might open it for you, instead of just walking in unannounced.

“Alright, alright, relax-” A man’s voice you didn’t recognize called out from the other side right before the door swung open, a stranger you’d never met before standing expectantly, with an expensive bottle of scotch dangling precariously from one hand. “Ahhh, someone I don’t know...” He mused to himself, inviting you in before shouting across the room at the top of his lungs, “SAM, YOUR NEW NEIGHBOR’S HERE, YOU CAN STOP WHINING ABOUT HER NOT COMING NOW!” In two seconds flat, Sam had run over, quick to shove the man who’d shouted away from the door, smiling broadly as he looked at you with surprise.

“Rafe, shut up and go sit by Nadine-” The other man winked at you before moving back into the living room of Sam’s surprisingly large apartment, you realized as you looked around, it was considerably more spacious than your own, the walls painted a muted gray color instead of the muted white that coated your own. “Y/N, I’m glad you changed your mind... I, uh, I really thought you weren’t going to make it.” From where he was standing, you could already smell the alcohol on him, evidently having been drinking and partying all night, “Some of us were just about to go outside and get some air, do you want to come with?”

“Oh,” You hesitate, remembering how the smell of the smoke had clung to your clothes before, but again that little flip in your stomach made you nod in agreement, particularly at the thought of being alone in a room full of strangers, you moved so he could lead the way. “Sure. I’ll follow you out.”

  


***

  


“So, Sam said you just moved here?” A beautiful girl your age with dark hair asked you once the rest of the group had circled up on the cobbled walkway outside the building; you were thankful to see not everyone at the party was older than you, and most of the people in the apartment had tromped outside for a smoke, or to continue the conversations they’d been having with the people who were smoking. “Y/N, right? I’m Chloe, and this is my _friend,_ Harry.” She waved when she introduced herself and the guy standing next to her, and you couldn’t help but feel like everyone was staring at you like some kind of mutant science experiment.

“He only mentioned it about a _thousand_ times.” Rafe interjected dryly between puffs off his expensive brand cigarette, and you could see Sam staring daggers at his friend. It was obvious everyone had had plenty to drink by now, laughter and a slight intoxicated warmth making itself felt through the group as they all chattered with each other, all at once.

“Yeah, I’ve only been here about a week.” You nod, trying to keep up with the rest of your surroundings. You’re standing next to Sam, with Rafe on his opposite side, a dark-skinned woman with arms that looked amazing next to him, then next to you was Chloe and Harry. “I’ve been working a temp job until I find something permanent, but it hasn’t left me with much time to explore.” You say, hoping they don’t pry too far into the white lie. “Sam caught me zoning out, staring out the window after work, and that’s when he invited me to come out tonight.”

“Well, I’m glad you made it. We can always use some new faces at these get-togethers.” Chloe smiled warmly, and you felt just a little better about showing up unannounced.

“Do these things happen often?” You asked, turning to look at Sam again. He seemed slightly hesitant, shrugging as he explained,

“As often as we can, anyway.” You smiled, but it dropped slightly when he added, “I leave town a lot, for, uh- for work.”

“You never told me, what do you do for a living?” You asked, earning an uncomfortable look from Sam that suddenly made you regret it.

“That’s... complicated. I work as a... Well, a consultant, of sorts, mostly paid under the table.... I also do the occasional odd-job on the side, sometimes, to pay the bills.” Rafe made a face you couldn’t quite figure out at Sam’s explanation, but Sam looked like he didn’t want to talk about it more, so you tried to veer away from the subject carefully. It was good to know Sam might not be around much, you reminded yourself, no use getting attached to someone who’s always gone.

“Well, hopefully I’ll get to come to another one, some time.” You try, smiling and hoping no one else felt as awkward as you did.

“I’m sure you will be.” Chloe smiled genuinely again, and you couldn’t help but feel intimidated... All of Sam’s friends seemed so good-looking and put together, while you still felt like you had so far to go, only just leaving home for the first time. “Are you lads done yet, or?” She glanced around, and it took you a moment to realize the boys really were the only ones smoking cigarettes; Sam seemed to be nearly finished, still making angry silent eye-contact with Rafe, who had already finished his first and looked to be almost lighting a second until the woman next to him dug an elbow into his rib cage.

“Nadine, what- Ow!” Rafe turned to face her angrily, and you had to suppress a smile at her timing. “What the _hell?”_

“Chloe wants to go inside, already! We’re all just waiting on you, idiot.” She gestured to the rest of the group, and you saw what she was talking about, Harry seemed to have finished his as well, and he was now whispering something into Chloe’s ear that made her laugh out loud, and you almost wish you could have heard it.

“Want to go back upstairs?” Sam asked, gesturing behind him, and you nodded quickly, thankful for the segue. The night air wasn’t unpleasant, but all the tobacco smoke was starting to make your head spin, not used to the heady buzz of secondhand exposure.

“Lead the way,” You smile, glad to see Sam relax a little as he put a hand on your shoulder, the first time he’d every physically reached out and touched you. It felt almost electric, but you didn’t want to pull away... If anything, you wished you could have pushed the limits further and grabbed his hand, but you weren’t feeling particularly brave, so you settled for the way his hand felt heavy on your shoulder, guiding you back upstairs.

  


***

  


As the party continued in his apartment, Sam seemed to finally realize he hadn’t made any real introductions yet, so he called everyone to quiet down for a moment before pointing around the room, where each person raise a hand and glanced at you with interest.

“Ok, we’ve got Rafe and his girlfriend, Nadine, over there, but I’m guessing you’d gathered that already,” You smiled, nodding when Rafe looked over at you with amusement on his face; he’d been making smart-ass comments all night and generally giving Sam grief, which you assumed meant they were actually pretty close, “Chloe and her boyfriend, Harry,” Chloe shot a glance at Sam, correcting him,

“We aren’t dating.” Which earned a slightly miffed look from Harry, and an eye-roll from a man sitting in front of the television that you hadn’t met yet.

“Okay, make it awkward, then.” Harry shot back, and you could definitely feel some tension there.

“Chloe’s roommate, Charlie, is in the kitchen.” Sam ignored the comment, and an intimidating man with a shaved head waved from behind Sam’s kitchen counter. You _definitely_ hadn’t seen him before, but Sam only seemed amused at the way Charlie appeared to be making a sandwich from the contents of his refrigerator, continuing his introductions without pause. “And, that’s my baby brother, Nathan, getting schooled by his girlfriend, Elena, on the couch playing video games, over there.” The same guy you’d seen before, who was close to your age, glanced over at you with a smile, only bothering to look at you long enough for his character to respawn in the game before he grunted angrily, resuming searching for his girlfriend’s character on the other team.

“Seems like a pretty tight-knit group,” You muse, hoping you don’t come off as too self-conscious, “It’s a little intimidating, jumping in as an outsider.”

“Don’t be.” Nadine replied easily with a laugh, “They’re all imbeciles.” You wished you had her confidence, watching the way she teased the rest of the group.

“Says the last person we let Rafe bring to the party.” Nathan added from across the room without looking away from the television. “Keep talking like that, and maybe you won’t get invited along anymore.”

“Not if I have anything to say about it.” Rafe shot back, and Sam rolled his eyes animatedly.

“Don’t mind them.” He leaned down to whisper in your ear, sending a shiver down your back. “Nathan and Rafe don’t exactly... _get along.”_ Sam changed the subject quickly, “Can I get you something to drink?”

“Oh, I don’t know...” You tried, wishing you didn’t sound so lame. “I don’t really drink very often.”

“No parties, no drinking...” Sam smiled at you with a look of confusion on his face. “I’m really going to have to work to get you out of your comfort zone, aren’t I?” You aren’t quite sure how to respond, but the look on his face has you almost wanting him to. It wasn’t that you’d _never_ gone to a party, or had a drink before, they just weren’t things you particularly enjoyed doing... Not until now, anyway.

“Well, nothing worthwhile was ever easy, was it?” You tease, earning another brilliant smile from Sam, and you wish you could have taken a picture, he looked so good. “But, I think you might be able to tempt me.”

“Is that so?” Sam asked, looking devious. “It would be my honor, then.”

  


***

  


A few hours later, and you were surprised to be among the last of Sam’s guests still sitting exhaustedly next to him on the loveseat in his living room, most everyone else having filtered out in their various groups and states of inebriation; Rafe and Nadine had called a ride, still tipsy, and it surprised you when an honest-to-god limousine service showed up at four o’clock in the morning to escort them home. Shortly after that, Charlie had elected to drive Chloe and Harry back to their place, evidently sober after his snack and a few hours of abstinence from the drinking that everyone else had continued in full-force. Nathan and Elena were both passed out on the couch, cuddling into each other sweetly after hours of playing video games and talking smack about one another, when Sam still refused to give in, not admitting defeat, even after the considerable amount of alcohol you’d estimated he’d already had since you’d arrived.

“What? No, no, come on... Don’t go home yet!” Sam gestured around him, looking sad when you announced you were sleepy, and were planning to head back to yours. “Stick around, c’mon, I’ll still be up for a while! Don’t you want to get to know me better?”

“Sam, you say that, but your eyes keep closing _while_ you’re talking to me.” You pointed out, and he smiled again, his eyes almost completely shut as you spoke. “You’re going to pass out any second now, I swear.”

“Well, maybe I don’t want to pass out, yet.” He wrapped an arm around your shoulders, leaning in closer to you, and you could feel your heart beating a mile a minute in your chest. Every red flag and alarm bell blared in your head, but still you could feel yourself moving toward him, knowing what was going to happen next, when his lips brushed against yours, uncoordinated and clumsy from the alcohol. “Maybe _this_ is what I’ve wanted to do all night, just didn’t see a right time for it.” It feels too good to be true, and altogether inappropriate at the same time, making you break the kiss before it went too far.

“Maybe,” You pulled away, wishing he didn’t look so disappointed when you did, and added, “But then again, maybe you’ve just had a little too much to drink tonight. I don’t want you to wake up full of regret in the morning.”

“I wouldn’t regret kissing you.” Sam replied back easily, shaking his head, and you wished you could control the way you were blushing like mad; you couldn’t help but wonder if he was going to feel as candid come morning. “No way.”

“Look, Sam, I do want to get to know you,” You silenced him, feeling comfortable enough to speak honestly when you knew there was a good chance he wouldn’t remember it later; you motioned for him to stand up as you started to walk him over toward what you hoped was his bedroom, “But, it doesn’t feel quite right, kissing you, and knowing how just how drunk you are right now.” You’d seen your friends get this drunk before, the aftermath was never a pretty picture... In an effort to keep Sam from hurting himself, you felt at least a little obligated to make sure he didn’t pass out in the middle of the floor and hurt himself.

“What?” Sam feigned surprise, but still followed your suggestion, lumbering slowly into the room you’d guessed was his bedroom. You were surprised by the relatively plain room, furnished sparingly with just a dresser, small bedside table, and a king-size bed with a plain black duvet. “I’m not _that_ drunk.”

“Well, this _is_ the first time I’ve seen you drunk, so I don’t have much frame of reference.” He nodded in agreement, relenting, when you pointed for him to get into bed. “You still seem pretty wasted.”

“That’s fair, I guess.” He laid down, watching you expectantly, but you remained standing by the door awkwardly instead. “You’re really just gonna stand there, huh?” Sam mused, and you wished he would just go to sleep, already, so you could go home and do the same. Another couple of hours and you’d have been awake for twenty four hours, and you were feeling particularly sleep-drunk in the darkness of Sam’s bedroom.

“I’m going home, now that I’ve seen you’ve made it to bed safely.” You answered him firmly, earning another pout from your newfound drunken friend. You wished you could deny the part of you that wanted to accept his invitation, and then some, even despite how tired you were, but you knew it was a bad idea taking advantage of someone you’ve only just met like that.

“Well, can I at least kiss you goodnight?” He asked, and you could feel your resolve breaking down quickly at the way he was looking at you. “Then you can go home, I promise.”

“You’re not making this easy on purpose, aren’t you?” You sighed, staring at the ground in embarrassment as you made your way to the bedside where Sam was lying, looking up at you from the pillow with a blissful, drunken smile on his face.

“I’m really glad you decided to come out tonight, even though parties aren’t ‘your thing’, whatever that means.” Sam teased you, one of his hands reaching up to brush against your cheek; he was surprisingly touchy-feely when drunk, and you were going to have to remember that for future reference... Your cheek felt warm against his palm, and you couldn’t believe the neighbor you’d been watching from afar for almost a week was acting so forward, when you’d met less than six hours before. It seemed to good to be true, as you leaned down to press your lips to his chastely, only to have him grab your hips and hoist you over him, using his weight and gravity to pull you onto the bed next to him.

“What-” You shouted, thrashing around wildly while airborne, laughing with a mix of exhaustion and exhilaration as he leaned over you and guided your face into another clumsy kiss, his mouth prodding yours open as his tongue swirled against yours. He tasted like alcohol and cigarettes, and something entirely him that you couldn’t quite describe, and you wished you didn’t feel so guilty, knowing it needed to stop as he tried to touch more of your skin, pulling you into the kiss harder. “Sam!” You pulled away once more, playfully smacking him on the chest as he laughed musically, leaning back against the pillows again.

“Sorry... Too much?” He asked, sounding just a tad self-conscious, but you couldn’t help but smile, curling in closer to him as you wrapped your arms around his neck to kiss him gently one last time.

“You did come on a little strong,” You leaned away, unwrapping your arms from his neck, but quickly realized you couldn’t move easily with the weight of his head on your arm. “Sam?” His eyes were shut gently, surprisingly long lashes standing out against his cheeks, and his face was completely relaxed, unconscious finally after fighting the good fight; you sighed, adjusting your body so that you were lying on your back, his head still resting heavily on your arm, and you couldn’t help but wonder how exactly you’d gotten there, again? But sleep was quickly creeping in at the corners of your consciousness, and you had to admit, Sam’s bed was comfortable; before you could convince yourself it was a bad idea, you’d fallen asleep to the sound of Sam’s slow, measured breathing, the smell of his cologne drifting into your dreams.

  


***

  


Your body woke you up far too early, considering just how late you’d stayed up the night before, but without fail, your eyes snapped open when the light from Sam’s window shined directly in your face. Forgetting where you were, you had twitched awake, panicking and pulling your arm awkwardly as you realized it had fallen asleep hours ago. Your heart plummeted when you heard Sam shift in the bed next to you, grumbling and rubbing balled up fists against his eyes as he sat up.

“Uh... Morning?” He asked, voice gravelly with sleep, and you wished you had a second to enjoy the way his hair was sticking up and his eyes were still half-shut before things started to go wrong.

“Sorry, I, uh-” You apologized, still trying to get the feeling back in your arm, “Morning.” You were having a hard time looking him in the eye after the way he had kissed you less than six hours before, and he seemed to be able to tell; Sam made a face you couldn’t quite read, closing his eyes and wincing as he worked up the courage to ask you what was on his mind.

“You and I, we didn’t- _y’know_ -” He looked embarrassed, almost in pain at the admission that he didn’t have a clue what happened last night, and he was worried you’d slept together. You felt embarrassed, as if he would be ashamed when he figured out something _had_ happened between you, even if it wasn’t sex, now that the beer goggles had worn off, so you got out of bed quickly, looking back at him as you answered the question, trying to laugh off how weird you knew you were acting.

“No,” You started, “Nope, no, we did not.” You backed out the door, knowing you were rambling, you felt desperate to get out of his apartment and back to the sanctity of your own. “I’ve, uh, I’ve gotta go... I’ll, uh, see you around some time.” Your cheeks glowed scarlet as you tore through the rest of his apartment, closing the door behind you as fast as you could, Sam just watched the door close, never having felt so confused in his life.

“What happened there?” Nate asked, blinking sleepily as Elena shifted against his shoulder.

“I think I fucked up...” Sam frowned, wracking his brain for any memory of what had transpired just before he’d passed out, but there was nothing. He sighed, defeatedly, turning to flop face-first back into bed. “Fuck. I can’t remember a fucking thing from last night...”

“Smooth.” Nate jabbed, then cuddled back against Elena to sleep some more.

You rushed through the halls and around the elbow-bend of the building, not bothering to stop moving until you were finally standing outside your door again, fumbling to fit the key into the lock. You felt so tired and ashamed, all you wanted to do was curl up in your comforter and sleep for the rest of the weekend. You couldn’t bear the thought of catching a glimpse of him outside the building, going for one of his regular smoke breaks, and having to smile and wave like nothing had happened between you. You could feel the butterflies in your stomach flipping at the thought, wishing you could just forget about him and move on. You reminded yourself that Sam said he left town a lot for work, hopefully that meant he’d be out of your life soon, if only temporarily. A heavy sigh worked its way from your chest as you locked your front door behind you, then shuffled into bed, feeling like you could sleep for at least another couple of hours before you decided how you were going to spend your first real day off in your new home.

  


***

  


It was well after noon the next time you woke up, still feeling groggy and out-of-it, you rolled out of bed and walked to the kitchen, your comforter still wrapped around your head and shoulders like some kind of cape, you rummaged through the refrigerator to try to find something to eat. Like second nature, even against your better judgment, you couldn’t help yourself from glancing out the window as you walked past with your plate of fruit and toast, blanket still slung over your shoulders haphazardly; your stomach tightened, and your heart skipped a beat when you saw Sam was outside, leaning against the wall next to the door and looking somewhat sullen in the midst of the warm afternoon sunlight. As if he could feel you looking at him, he tilted his head up, immediately looking away when he realized you were there; you felt all the shame and embarrassment and sadness surging over again, as Sam stood up straight, tossing his cigarette to the ground and putting it out under his heel as he walked back inside. You felt incredibly stupid for getting this attached to a guy after one night of flirting and a few quick drunken kisses, but there was still no denying how much it actually hurt hearing him say he wouldn’t regret it, trying to take things further, and then acting embarrassed at the idea of having slept together when he sobered up the next morning. You settled onto the couch, queuing up your television to play one of your favorite shows, while you picked up your laptop off the coffee table and started to surf the internet mindlessly. Just as you were starting to get comfortable, someone knocked at the door, and you felt a pang of anxiety when you knew you weren’t expecting any visitors. You walked to the front door slowly, taking your time to look through the peephole and wanting to scream when you saw Sam on the other side. When you didn’t answer, he knocked one more time, talking outside the door, just loud enough for you to hear him.

“Hey, I know you’re home. Can we maybe talk, just for a minute?” You stayed silent, but figured he could tell you were there by the way the floorboards creaked at the doorway. “Please open the door? I want to know what happened. I want to know what I did, and if I can fix it, or at least apologize for it.” He sighed, about to give up and walk away as you debated back and forth, trying and failing to convince yourself to just ignore him. Finally, you opened the door a crack, enough to see his face when he looked back at you pleadingly. “I’m sorry if I was an asshole... I can be kind of a dick when I drink too much, and if I did anything to make you uncomfortable-”

“Just come inside.” You sighed, hoping there weren’t too many other neighbors out and about, already judging you for starting drama in the building; Sam looked thankful to be given the chance to talk it out, stepping into your apartment quickly, and looking at you sincerely as you closed the door behind him.

“Y/N, thank you.” He frowned, “I don’t even know if you owe me this chance. Fuck, I’m so sorry. I overdid it last night, and I know that’s no excuse, but I can’t remember anything, and I feel like such a goddamn asshole-” It was easy to see how torn up he was over it, and you couldn’t blame him for assuming the worst; you felt like an idiot, of course you should have explained all he’d done was kissed you, he probably felt like a monster...

“Sam, don’t worry about it, really.” You tried to reassure him, “I had a great time last night, it’s just... When you were drunk, you kissed me, and," Sam’s eyebrows raised, suddenly feeling at least a little less monstrous, “I wanted to kiss you back, I just didn’t feel right, knowing you were wasted. That’s all that happened last night.”

“Really? You’re not upset? This morning, the way you left so quick, I thought the worst had happened.” You felt embarrassed, knowing you’d blown things out of proportion, but having to explain the exact thoughts rolling through your head was only going to be more humiliating.

“I just, well, panicked... Last night, when you were about to pass out, you very adamantly told me you wouldn’t regret kissing me in the morning, and then the first thing you asked when we woke up fully clothed in bed next to each other is whether or not we fucked, and you didn’t exactly sound thrilled about that possibility, either.” Sam’s eyebrows had practically raised to his forehead by the time you’d finished speaking, feeling both better and worse at the same time.

“Wow, I am _some_ piece of work.” He sounded slightly dazed, running a hand through his hair. “I am... Really sorry about that.” He shook his head, staring at the ground, “I was pretty down last night, and I tend to get sloppy when I drink that much scotch with Rafe... I hadn’t expected you to just appear out of the blue, but I really wanted you to have a good time meeting some of my friends, especially when you mentioned you didn’t know anybody around here. That’s a lonely life.”

“That’s actually a little sweet.” You couldn’t help but smile at the way Sam had inadvertently screwed up such a nice intention. “And it does make me feel a little more like forgiving you.” Sam looked surprised, and happy at the same time.

“For real?” His smile lit up his features in a way that made your heart skip a beat. “I’m so glad to hear that.” After a moment of quiet, a thought seemed to strike him, and Sam frowned slightly as he spoke. “Listen, I’ve got to leave town for work tonight. I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone. It could be a week, maybe longer, but do you want to maybe go out, sometime, once I get back?”

“Like a _date_?” You ask, for clarification, thinking your ears might not be working right. Sure, he’d liked you enough to want to kiss you sloppily while drunk, but to actually want to date? That seemed too good to be true.

“Yeah, of course.” Sam smiled again, and you blinked back at him, still staring in disbelief.

“Uh- Yeah, I mean... Sure-” You stuttered, face flushing, which only seemed to delight Sam further, he took great amusement in your reaction. “I’d like that, a lot.” You can’t help but feel a little sad, knowing he’s going to be gone for a week or longer, but the idea of going out on a date with him was a dream come true.

“It’s a date, then. Do you think I could have your number, so I can call you when I’m back in town?”

“Texting works, too. If you’re allowed to do that sort of thing, while out of town on work.” You hint back, hoping he’s one of those types who liked to send little messages here and there.

“It’s not exactly _encouraged_ , spending time on personal communications on a job, but I _might_ be able to make it happen.” Sam tried to speak quickly, evidently still anxious to avoid talking about what he actually did for a living. You dismissed the thought, figuring he’d tell you more when he was ready. “As long as you’re not too upset if it takes me a while to respond.”

“I understand.” You nodded willingly, punching in his contact information, then texting him with your contact file with a smile on your face. “So, what’re you planning on doing with the rest of your day?” Sam thought about it a moment before smiling back at you.

“Nothing real important, maybe running a few errands before I’m gone for a while, why?”

“I didn’t really have any plans, just thought, maybe you might want to hang out for a bit before you go. It’s fine, if you’re busy, though.” You floated the idea hopefully, a little embarrassed that what you really wanted was an opportunity to kiss him again, _sober_ this time so you could really enjoy it. Sam was enticed by the idea, biting his lip as he nodded,

“Give me a couple hours to finish up my errands and chores, and we can spend the rest of the day together?”

“Sounds good.” You try to keep from blushing at the idea of spending some more time with him, one on one. “Just text me when you’re headed back this way. We can order take-out, or something.”

“That sounds amazing.” Sam sighed, and you could hear his stomach rumbling; you couldn’t help but wonder how hungover he’d been for most of the day after drinking so much the night before. “I guess I’d better head out, if I want to make it back with plenty of time to hang out.” He seemed so much more relaxed, now that you were on good terms again. “I’ll see you later.”

“See ya.” You waved as he turned and left, not totally believing what had just happened, you felt like you were imagining it; Sam was coming back here, to spend the last precious hours of his weekend before leaving town for a _long_ time, with you. You felt the sudden need to finish unpacking every box that still littered the corners of the living room; you’d been putting it off all week, promising yourself you would get to it later, but now it just looked embarrassing, knowing you’d been living there a week, still pulling things out of cardboard boxes.

  


***

  


Sam’s errands ended up taking much longer than you’d expected, and it was past four o’clock by the time he finally sent you a text, the butterflies in your stomach jumped at the unexpected chime of your phone as you finished putting away the last of your dishes, glad all that was left now was the boxes of clothes in your bedroom.

  


_[Sam 04:08PM]: sorry, that took way too long. headed back now_

_[Y/N 04:09PM]: no worries. if I call in food, want to pick it up?_

_[Sam 04:09PM]: sure. where’m i going?_

  


You sent him the name of your favorite place for takeout you’d found since moving, hoping he didn’t mind Chinese food. He replied that it sounded perfect, so you felt a little better. You wandered back to your bedroom, changing your clothes and re-applying your perfume as you hoped you hadn’t worked up too much of a sweat unpacking what was left of your things, thankful to finally have the place feeling a bit more like home. Your books now lined your favorite, worn old bookshelf, colorful spines and well-loved covers greeting you happily as you settled back onto the couch again, watching television and waiting for Sam to get there with the same nervous energy he seemed to draw out of you every time you saw each other. When he finally knocked on the door, you rushed to open it, realizing he probably hadn’t felt comfortable enough just opening the door unannounced.

“Hey, I’m sorry I’m late-” He started, passing you one of the brown paper bags that contained delicious smelling food, then followed you into the kitchen, depositing his bag on the counter next to yours.

“Don’t worry about it,” You assured him, “I’m sure you had stuff to do, knowing you’re not going to be back for a while.”

“Yeah, but I just kept wishing people would hurry up so I could get back here.” His words made you blush, his kind brown eyes fixed on yours intently. His stomach growled loudly, ruining the moment, and you couldn’t help but laugh, “Oh my God, I’m starving. Sorry...”

“We can eat at the table, otherwise, I was about to pick a movie to watch when you got here, we could eat on the couch and put something on.”

“Oh, we’re already having the all-important favorite movie genre discussion?” Sam’s eyebrows raised dramatically, a smile playing at his mouth as he looked back at you. “Fire it up, let’s go.” You settled on the couch next to him, leaning into him as you queued up one of your favorite old movies, then started to dig into your food without hesitation.

You and Sam ate in relative quiet, the sound effects of the movie covering the sounds of happy eating, each of you pausing occasionally to comment on how good the food tasted. You stood up slowly, stretching your arms over your head and exposing your midriff accidentally before picking up the food containers to take them to the trash, Sam gave a low wolf-whistle, his eyes fixed on you as you walked back to the kitchen to take care of the garbage, you smiled to yourself at his vocal reaction. Walking back into the living room, you leaned over the back of the couch, draping your arms around his neck, you softly kissed up the trail of bird tattoos, nibbling the skin at the corner of his jaw lightly.

“ _Mmmm... Get over here._ ” His voice sounded gravelly, and you couldn’t roll over the back of the couch fast enough, squawking and flailing when Sam used his superior strength to pull you into him as he had the first time you’d kissed. Sam’s lips were warm against yours as you tried to find your bearings, pressing back against him as he opened his lips to deepen the kiss. When you finally pulled back for a moment, you were breathing heavily as you looked up at him from where you sat leaning over his lap; you craved more contact, a better position, moving to straddle him instead.

Sam’s large, rough hands traced over your hips and thighs, pulling you down against him as he kissed the crook of your neck and bit your collarbone teasingly. You groaned appreciatively, feeling your arousal pooling between your legs at the way you could feel him straining up beneath you, and Sam laughed in a way that sent shivers down your spine, his arms wrapping around your back to pull you against his chest, claiming your lips once more. In the same moment, his hands started to slip under your shirt to your bra, and you could feel his phone start vibrating in his pocket. You made a disgruntled noise when he broke the kiss, his lips red and slightly swollen as he shook his head at the interruption.

“I know, I’m sorry... Hold on-” Sam lifted you easily, depositing you on the couch next to him and pulling the phone from his pocket. You could barely hear scraps of another person’s voice on the other side of the line, just a few words here and there, to which Sam answered small affirmatives, “Uh huh... Yup... Ok...” All excitement dropped from his expression, and you saw the more serious side of Sam you hadn’t seen before. “Alright, Rafe. That’s enough, _I get it_. I’ll see you outside, just let me grab my stuff.” He looked angry as he ended the call, the last terse words out of his mouth making you frown.

“Is it time already?” You groaned, glancing at the clock on the bookshelf, “It’s only 5:15! I thought we had ‘til 6?”

“Apparently there’s been a change of plans, and we need to leave early... _Fuck,_ I’m sorry, Y/N.” He stood up quickly, looking self-conscious as he adjusted himself in his pants, not having expected to have to go out quite so soon after making out like horny teenagers. You had to remind yourself to breathe when you could see him peeking up above the waistband of his pants, wishing desperately that he could stay just a few minutes longer to let you help him out with that. “We’re gonna have to pick this up again later, I’m afraid.”

“What a waste.” You smiled sadly, standing to walk him to the door, and pulling him into one last passionate kiss, swirling your tongue with his as he started to move, but hesitated to break the contact. “Be careful wherever you’re going, alright? Give me a call when you get back in town, I _really_ want to see you again.” He smiled genuinely, cupping your cheek with one rough hand before he left in a rush, jogging down the hallway to his apartment; you could hear a car horn honking from outside, and you knew it must be Rafe, but what they were doing, or where they were going, you had no idea. All you could hope he wasn’t doing something too dangerous.

  


***

  


The next week seemed to drag by so slowly, the only thing getting you through it had been the one or two short text messages Sam had managed to sneak to you each morning and night. Of course, everything he’d mentioned was vague, and you didn’t remotely have any idea what he was doing, but true to his word, he’d found the time to reach out to you at least once a day. The day after Sam left had felt completely surreal, and you still felt a little bit of doubt that all of it had been some kind of crazy dream, and you had finally woken up; you’d called your parents to check in with them, just as they’d requested, and their questions had been mostly benign, though you were quick to change the subject when they asked if you’d met any of your neighbors yet. Later in the day, you’d video chatted with your best friend again, quick to fill her in on the details of what had happened between you and Sam since you’d caved and went to the party. The two of you spoke for almost two hours while you continued to do chores around the apartment, and you were thankful to spend time with her after feeling so lonely living in the new town. But it was almost Friday again, which meant you were just that much closer to finally having another day off, and your heart jumped in your chest when your phone vibrated on the bedside table next to you, a text message from Sam greeting you on screen.

  


_[Sam 9:49PM]: hey, I’ve got good news. we finished the job early, and we’re leaving the site tonight._

  


Your stomach flipped, and you couldn’t believe what you’d just read: Sam was coming home sooner than expected... You weren’t sure how far away he was right now, but he would be home soon, and that was all that mattered. You were dying to see him, to kiss him and feel him wrap his arms around you; you hadn’t realized how much you’d miss seeing him outside for a smoke while he was gone, and you were delighted to find out he would be out there again soon enough.

  


_[Y/N 9:50PM]: when do you get home? can I come over?_

_[Sam 9:51PM]: tonight, but it’s gonna be late, and I’m gonna be jet-lagged. plus you still gotta work tomorrow._

_[Y/N 9:51PM]: that’s what sick days are for, silly._

_[Y/N 9:52PM]: just kidding, I don’t have sick days yet. but I still want to see you_

_[Sam 9:52PM]: we can get together tomorrow after you get out of work. it’ll give you something to look forward to._

  


From the moment you woke up to the very second you walked out of work, you felt statically charged, on-edge and wishing the day would end so you could finally head home; the idea of seeing Sam waiting for you out on the walkway in front of the building, the smell of his cigarettes permeating the air, was enough to spur you forward, but you felt drained by the time you finally pulled into your home parking space.

Your smile dropped when Sam wasn’t outside, the image you’d had in your head falling apart as you climbed out of your car and dragged yourself upstairs to your apartment in defeat. With a huff, you pulled out your phone, sending him a quick text message, then wandered into your bedroom to change your clothes.

  


_[Y/N 5:28PM]: just got home. door’s open, come over soon?_

_[Y/N 5:29PM]: I want to see you_

  


You had started to feel a little too exposed and self-conscious when a few minutes passed, and you didn’t hear anything from Sam at all. He had been unusually quiet all day, which had you suddenly worried that you’d done something wrong somehow between now and when you’d last spoke the night before. You made your way to the kitchen, opening the refrigerator to see what you could do about dinner, when a quick knock at the front door broke your concentration; you whirled around, rushing to meet him in the living room as Sam opened the door and came in. Before he could even open his mouth to say ‘hello’, you were already on him, pulling his face into yours hungrily, as if you were picking up right where you’d had to leave off the last time you were together. Sam’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, but he quickly adapted, stepping you backwards until things weren’t moving quickly enough for him, so he lifted you off the ground easily, inviting you to wrap your legs around his waist as he carried you backward, further into the living room, pausing to lean your back against the wall behind you.

“ _Christ, you’re a sight for sore eyes.”_ His voice was low and rough when he looked down at you, drinking in the way your chest was rising and falling as you fought for breath against him.

“I’ve been waiting too damned long to do that again.” You answered back impatiently, hooking your wrists behind his neck and drawing him into you again. Sam growled against your lips, his hands tightening against the flesh where your ass and thighs met as he bit your bottom lip gently, worrying it between his teeth, then soothed the swollen skin with his tongue. Your legs tightened around his waist, but it didn’t satisfy your need for something more, _for friction;_ Sam could feel the way you were rocking against him, reading your mind as he pushed back against you a little harder, sending a little jolt of arousal through your core as your back pressed as tight against the cold wall as it could.

“As nice as this is,” Sam spoke between alternating kisses and bites down your neck, leaving a trail of red skin behind, “I am eventually going to run out of strength in my arms... Where do you want to go from here?” He asked honestly, looking a little embarrassed, and you had to force yourself to come back to reality for a moment to consider what he was asking. “I didn’t want to assume anything.”

“Anywhere.” You answered back hurriedly, voice low and breathy, “Wherever you want, I’ll be happy.” Your answer spurred Sam on, causing him to heave you against him again, he carried you back into your bedroom, shoving the door open with his foot; he set you down gently on the floor, kissing you and started to slip his hands under the hem of your shirt. His fingertips sent shivers up your spine as he broke the kiss just long enough to lift your shirt over your head, a smile perking at his lips. He rushed to follow suit, stripping off his own clothes as you unbuttoned your pants and peeled them off just as quickly, leaving you and Sam in your underwear, looking at each other in appraisal; Sam’s tented boxer briefs left little to the imagination, and you had to admit you’d purposely chosen your favorite set of bra and panties that left you feeling particularly good about the way you looked, wanting to make a good impression on him if things ended up going the way you wanted them to. You couldn’t stop yourself from staring a little, until Sam broke the silence that had settled between you.

“ _Wow, you are fucking beautiful._ ”

“You look pretty great, yourself.” Your cheeks glowed scarlet at the compliment, which only made Sam smile wider, crowding you back toward the bed as he started to kiss you again with renewed fervor. Sam’s hands roamed up and down your sides, the roughness of his palms felt electrifying against your bare skin; you stopped moving backward when the backs of your legs hit the bed, pressing yourself against him again and opening your mouth invitingly. Without warning, Sam pushed you onto the bed, not hard, but with enough pressure to catch you off-guard, making your heart leap in your chest.

“Woah!” You yelped as you fell, grappling for Sam’s hands as he laughed lightly, lowering himself overtop of you slowly, with one arm on either side of you, the scent of his cologne and cigarettes made you feel dizzy with excitement as he started kissing you again slowly.

“Hmmm,” He hummed appreciatively as you arced into his touch when his fingertips found the clasp of your bra, pausing momentarily. Your heart hammered in your chest with anticipation, wanting him to just keep going. “Is this alright?”

“You don’t have to keep asking, Sam.” You laugh, “You’re already here, in my apartment... We’re in _my bed_ , for god’s sake. If I didn’t want this, I’d have already let you know by now.”

“I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable, that’s all. Last time, you won’t hear me ask again.” He smirked down at you, deviously.

Sam’s demeanor changed completely in front of you without uttering another word about it, immediately taking control over every aspect of the situation; he shoved your bra up over your breasts with his fingertips impatiently, sending a shiver down your spine as he leaned down to pull one nipple into his mouth, he ran his thumb over the other in time with his tongue in a way that drove you wild.

“ _Oh, Sam-”_ You muttered, leaning into his touch, your reaction earned a chuckle of satisfaction from him as he continued to tease you relentlessly. “ _Wow, fuck-”_ When you started panting heavily, he finally pulled away, a smirk on his face as released your bra and pulled it away. He looked down at you happily, a grin exaggerating the wrinkles of his face.

“Heh,” The sight of you laid out on display for him made him all the more confident, “Enjoying yourself, there?”

“You could say that.” You answered between breaths, wishing he would shut up and start touching you again. “Or I could show you.” You added, almost challenging him to take things further. Catching your lack of subtlety, Sam’s hand skated down your stomach to slide below your panties, sending a shockwave through you as his fingertips explored your sex with interest.

“ _Fuck,_ that’s so hot. Nice and wet for me.” His voice was low and rough, tinged with arousal when he looked down at you, writhing below him, tilting your hips into his touch. He teased you with his fingertips, around your lips, but never directly on your clit, earning a groan of protest from you.

“Ah _, Sam-”_ You started, but a moan cut through your words when he chuckled smugly and finally slipped one long finger inside, crooking it expertly. “Fuck, _please_ -” You keened when his fingertip brushed the inside wall of your pussy, sending a jolt of pleasure up your spine. You couldn’t stop yourself from panting loudly as he worked his finger back out, then in again, adding a second at a punishingly slow pace, probing with each movement as he sized up your acclimation to the changes.

“Heh, you like that?” He curled his fingers again, pressing firmly against that spot again, and you could swear you saw stars, hips forcing down on his hand, unbidden.

“Oh my God-” You gasped, trying to stave off the inevitable as he continued to press into your most sensitive spot, only stopping when you pulled away, not wanting to cum just yet. “Hold on, Sam, wait...” Your panting breaths did little to ease Sam’s conscience, as he worried you’d somehow changed your mind.  
“I’m sorry, did I hurt you?” He asked, face suddenly serious with concern.

“No, no, nothing like that.” You reassured him with a smile, chest rising and falling quickly as you recovered, feeling yourself moving away from the very edge. “I just didn’t want it to be over so soon.” He laughed, feeling much better as he watched you with want in his eyes. “I, uh... I’m not exactly great at cumming more than once in a row.”

“I’m not _too_ worried about that.” Sam smiled kindly, “We can do this as often or infrequently as you want. If you want to try for more, I’m game. Otherwise, that’s fine too. I’m happy with whatever I can get.” He kissed your shoulder gently, waiting for you to tell him when it was OK to start again. You caught your breath slowly, wishing you could hurry up so that you could get back to touching him, until you finally felt ready, facing him with an embarrassed smile.

“Did you, uh, bring any protection?” You asked, suddenly realizing that was something you hadn’t prepared for ahead of time. Sam smiled sheepishly, casting around on the ground for his discarded pants, he pulled a condom from his wallet and examined the packaging to make sure it looked intact. Once it had passed his inspection, Sam tore the foil open, stripped off the last of his clothing and began to take care of the condom, while you watched him, touching yourself gently as you finally got a good look at his fully nude body. “ _Wow._ ” You felt almost breathless when he finally stepped back toward you, his rough hands pulling you toward him so he could finally press into you, slowly allowing you to adjust to him until he bottomed out. Sam’s breath hissed between his teeth as he felt you, tight and warm around his cock, not quite daring to move just yet, he leaned down to kiss you instead, allowing you to set the pace.

“You’re so fucking _tight_.” He managed to grind out between kisses, having to stop the distraction when you started to shift your hips against him, savoring the slide of skin on skin as you worked yourself up and down on his cock at a lazy pace. “Feels so good.” He had remained still so far, but you were growing impatient, craving something a little rougher; you spread your legs wide, wrapping them around his waist, you begged him for more.

“Fuck me, Sam, please-” Your breath caught in your throat as he finally heeded your plea, increasing the pace, he rocked his hips into you. His hands held your hips so hard, you wondered if it might bruise, but couldn’t bring yourself to care, crying out when he brushed the same spot he’d been pressing before, this time with the head of his cock.

“Right there?” He laughed breathlessly at the dazed look on your face when you nodded, biting your lip, he shifted position slightly so that he could keep hitting the same spot with ease. “That’s it, princess. Want you to come all over my cock.” Your head hit the pillow beneath it when one hand released its grip from your hip to circle your clit with his fingertips, easing you over the edge, you could feel yourself fluttering around him with a loud moan. It was all the encouragement Sam needed to start fucking you as hard and fast as he could, savoring the feeling of you constricting around him, pulling back against him when he chased his own release erratically. He panted loudly when his hips finally slowed, and you could feel him spilling inside you, filling the condom and pulsing as he settled his forehead against yours, peppering your cheeks with kisses. When he eased himself out, you shivered at the feeling, the aftershocks still leaving your legs feeling like jelly.

“Wow... That was well worth the wait.” You laughed, and evidently Sam was feeling the same, smiling and still breathing heavily as he eased himself off of you to stand, then left the room quickly to clean himself up.

“Yeah,” Sam called from the bathroom next to your room, “Wouldn’t mind doing that again, sometime.”

“Me, too.” You reassured him, closing your eyes and basking in the afterglow for a moment, until Sam’s phone started ringing, causing him to dash madly back into the room, still stark naked, he scrabbled through the clothes on the floor, finally finding the device in time for it to go to voicemail.

“Shit! It’s Rafe...” Sam looked annoyed, sighing before he dropped the phone on the bed, receiving a text message moments later, as he started to get dressed.

“What, no cuddling?” You asked, earning a look of embarrassment and surprise from Sam.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I-”

“Relax, I’m just busting your chops.” You tell him, but secretly you wouldn’t have minded lying there with him for a little while, unwinding from your day. “You don’t have to hang out if you don’t want to.”

“It’s just ‘cause we just got back... For some reason these people want to hang out outside of work, even though we spend far too much time together as it is.” He looked conflicted. “Would you want to come over again tonight? I promise I won’t get sloppy like I did last time.” Sam smiled with embarrassment, knowing he’d been kind of an ass the night you’d met. “And I’ll tell my friends to behave.” You thought about it, biting your lip for a second before deciding to go for it.

“Sure, I’ll come for a few hours.” You say, hoping you might get a chance to cuddle once he’d had a few drinks. “All the same people as last week?” Sam’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the list of recipients in the text thread,

“Some, anyway. Looks like Chloe and Cutter are coming, but Flynn’s skipping out. Rafe’s obviously the ringleader tonight, but evidently he and Nadine aren’t speaking, _again_. Nate’s on his way over, but Elena still hasn’t answered yet.” You nodded, trying to match faces to the names that sounded familiar, hoping you’d recognize them when you saw them.

“Awesome.” He breathed a sigh of happiness, a smile plastered on his face, when a thought struck him. “Hey, do you want to take a shower?”

“That sounds great.” You answer, but purse your lips when his phone chimes yet again. “But, what about them?”

“They can wait, for all I care. It won’t be a lie when I tell them I was in the shower.”

“I guess that’s fair.” You smile, taking his hand as he lead you down the hall to your tiny bathroom to shower together.

  


***

  


Showering with Sam in your tiny bathroom had been an excellent idea, your bodies pressed together in the warm spray of the water helped you to finally start to relax after a long week. Sam stood in the hall outside your bedroom after the shower, only half-dressed as he watched you leaning toward him to choose what to wear, a wolfish grin on his face at your body wrapped in a sagging towel, almost fully exposed in front of him yet again.

“You don’t have to wait for me, if you don’t want to.” You looked at the way he was just standing there, watching you, shirtless, and couldn’t ignore the way his cell phone had been chiming constantly since the two of you had stepped out.

“They can wait.” Sam smiled at you as he silenced his phone, then finally pulled his shirt on over his head. You couldn’t help but feel a little sad at the loss of such a nice sight, but, you knew it had to happen. “They’ve been with me all week. I wanted to spend time with you.” You followed his lead and hurried to dress yourself, followed by a quick trip to the bathroom to apply perfume and makeup. Sam watched it all intently, his arms crossed over his chest, taking in every detail of your routine; it made you feel self-conscious, but appreciated, at the same time.

“Did you want something to drink, or anything?” You offered, still not quite sure exactly how to treat Sam now that the two of you had finally slept together. “There’s lots to choose from in the fridge, if you want it.”

“Thanks.” Sam answered, trudging toward the kitchen and leaving you in the bathroom alone for a moment. The entire time he was gone, you found yourself getting slightly more and more panicked at the realization that you really didn’t have any idea where things were going from here... _Were the two of you friends? Dating? Or, just neighbors who occasionally decided to fuck?_ You took a deep breath, telling yourself it didn’t matter, as long as you got to be involved with Sam, and tried to push the thoughts from your mind as he returned with a half-drained bottle of water.

“I’m ready now.” You glanced at the mirror one last time, wishing you’d taken the time to dry the wet hair that hung loosely in your face, but had decided against it at the last minute, not wanting to make Sam wait much longer.

“Want some?” Sam offered you the bottle of water, which you accepted gratefully, finishing its contents before you’d even reached the living room. The two of you left for Sam’s apartment side by side, his arm slung over your shoulder, you fell into step easily as he fished his phone out of his pocket and finally checked the mass of text messages that had collected with a loud laugh.

  


_[Rafe 7:19PM]: You told everybody to be here at 7:30, I’m on my way with beer but now you won’t answer your phone?_

_[Nathan 7:24PM]: Yeah, for once I’m with Rafe. What gives? I’ve been knocking on the door for fifteen minutes._

_[Chloe 7:29PM]: If you don’t get back in the next thirty seconds, I’m picking your lock_

_[Cutter 7:31PM]: are you all just waiting out in the hall together, or something?_

_[Cutter 7:31PM]: i had to stop for snacks. does anybody want anything?_

  


Sam had read the thread out loud to you, announcing who had texted before their messages, so you weren’t surprised by the crowd that had impatiently amassed in front of Sam’s door, greeting the two of you awkwardly.

“Ohhhhh,” Rafe stared down his nose at you as Sam let his hand fall to the small of your back as he passed to unlock his door, shoving Chloe gently out of the way from where she was crouched down and trying to pick the lock. “Now it makes sense why Samuel, here, was held up.”

“Hey, Y/N, how’s it going?” Nate waved from where he stood next to Chloe.

“Sounds like things are going pretty well-” Rafe piped in, and your cheeks glowed red at the comment.

“Shut your mouth, Rafe.” Sam answered warningly, swinging his door open for the others to enter, leaving just you and Sam still standing outside.

“What? We’re all thinking it. Lighten up, Samuel.” Rafe smirked, and Nate shoved him along.

“I’m really glad you decided to come out tonight, Y/N.” Nate told you, then followed Chloe and Rafe toward Sam’s kitchen.

“Hey, Rafe’s an asshole. I’m really sorry...” He told you, catching sight of the small look of worry on your face.

“It’s fine, no worries.” You reassured him, following him inside and closing the door behind you; it felt like every person in the apartment’s eyes were on you, but you knew it was probably just paranoia, so you tried to push it behind you as you joined the party anxiously.

  


***

  


  


 


End file.
